Mountain Top best place to own home, consumer group says

A consumer advocacy group says Mountain Top is the best place for home ownership in Pennsylvania.

In a study by the group NerdWallet using U.S. Census data, Mountain Top beat out several Pittsburgh suburbs and exurbs on a list of the best places in the state for buying a home. Maggie Clark, an analyst with NerdWallet, said Mountain Top stands out as the only northeastern location to make the top 10 list.

“Mountain Top did well mostly in relationship to the other cities. It had a pretty significant population increase,” Clark said.

According to the study of 89 Pennsylvania communities, Mountain Top had the third-highest population growth with an increase of 3.5 percent. According to the census, Mountain Top had a population of 10,982 in 2010.

“Most had pretty low population gains, or maybe some population losses,” Clark said of the locations listed in the study. “That’s why Mountain Top ranked as high as it did.”

Hershey had the highest population growth, increasing its 2010 population of 14,257 by 6.2 percent in 2012. Franklin Park had the second-highest increase, raising its 2010 population of 13,470 by 3.7 percent in 2012.

Mountain Top is the only location in Northeastern Pennsylvania to make the top 10. The rest of the short list names Pittsburgh suburbs like Franklin Park, Jefferson Hills, Murrysville, Plum, Baldwin Borough, Upper St. Clair, and Bethel Park.

Southcentral cities such as Hershey, York and Weigelstown also made the top 10.

Clark said Mountain Top’s population growth and affordable home prices have encouraged home ownership.

According to the study, home ownership costs in Mountain Top account for only 26.4 percent of the median household income.

The U.S. government defines affordable housing as less than 30 percent of a household’s monthly income.

“Affordability is a key measure,” Clark said. “Pennsylvania and the cities on this list did pretty well on that measure.”

Homes in Mountain Top have a median value of $190,000, according to the study.

jheckman@citizensvoice.com

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.

Not long ago, homelessness was unheard of in the Hazleton area. Rents and the cost of homes were low and almost universally affordable; families routinely found rooms for poor relatives in basements, attics or other small household areas. However, today’s
(read more)